The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in the north of Kerala is the biggest constituency by land area that comprises parts of three districts – Wayanad along with a section of Malappuram and Kozhikode. Known for its picturesque landscape, historical sites, and rich tribal diversity, the constituency shares its borders with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Politically, Wayanad has long been a stronghold of the Congress (INC) since it was formed after the redrawing of constituencies in 2008. Wayanad. Known for its indigenous spices, thick forest cover with ‘Man-animal’ conflict recurring in regular intervals has always been the first choice for both domestic and international tourists.
Ecologically sensitive hilly slopes and land terrains has become vulnerable to landslides and flash floods. The deadly landslides in the month of July has badly affected the tourism industry and the economy of the district following less tourist arrivals and thus a sharp decline in investments to the hilly district. There is anger among the public, especially those linked to the tourism industry to address the crisis they are into. On the other side, a section of natives along with environmentalists are protesting against illegal construction of resorts and homestays that are posing a danger to the forest fringes and environmentally sensitive areas.
Political Dynamics and a brief history of Wayanad voting pattern
In the 2019 general elections, Rahul Gandhi from the Congress secured a significant victory in Wayanad, winning by a staggering margin of 4,31,770 votes over his nearest competitor, PP Suneer of the CPI. Mr Gandhi’s victory marked one of Kerala’s largest margins, reaffirming Wayanad’s loyalty to the Congress. However, the constituency was in limbo briefly when Mr Gandhi was convicted in the “Modi surname” defamation case. His Lok Sabha membership was subsequently restored after the Supreme Court put his conviction on hold.
The Lok Sabha constituency had always been rallying behind Congress party ever since its inception in 2008.
“The Congress party has its strong presence ever since 2008 as it had been electing its leaders. The Christian and Muslim community and the church has been predominately supporting the Congress party. However, among the Hindu community, especially among the tribals the CPI(M) has a consolidated vote share. The region has its own share of issues and concerns such as man-animal conflict, serious decline in agricultural income. However the Congress party remain strong on the ground with a strong vote base in the region”, said Advocate Jayashankar, political commentator.
Demographic Composition
Wayanad has a diverse demographic composition, with a predominantly rural electorate – 93 per cent. Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) constitute 7 per cent and 9.3 per cent of the electorate, respectively. Religious demographics are equally balanced, with Hindus, Muslims, and Christians each constituting around 40 per cent, 40 per cent, and 20 per cent of the population. Meanwhile, the areas such as Nilambur and adjoining areas in Malappuram also adds to the Wayanad constituency making it the largest constituency by land area occupancy in the state.
In 2009, the vote share of the Congress party was 49.9 percentage while in 2014 it was 41.2 percentage. The percentage of Congress vote share has risen to 64.7 percentage in 2019 and 64.2 percentage in 2024. The CPI managed to secure 22 percentage in the constituency.
Since its establishment post the 2008 delimitation, Wayanad has been held by the Congress. The constituency comprises seven assembly constituencies spanning three districts: Wayanad, Kozhikode, and Malappuram. The political landscape includes a mix of Congress, CPI(M), Indian Union Muslim League, and Left Democratic Front legislators, reflecting the diverse political dynamics within the constituency.
Subdivisions within the Wayanad district
Wayanad has three municipalities, Mananthavady, Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta. Census 2011 defines Mananthavady and Sulthan Bathery as Wayanad’s sub-districts. Here, the religious population share of the areas within a district have been taken from the numbers belonging to the particular assembly constituency falling in that area, as noted by the Census 2011.
Mananthavady has 46% Hindus, 29% Muslims and 24% Christians. Religious population share in Sulthan Bathery is up to 58% Hindus, 17% Muslims and 25% Christians. Wayanad district’s headquarters are in the Kalpetta municipality which is part of the Vythiri taluk. As per Census 2011 figures, the Vythiri sub-district has 43% Hindus, followed by 41% Muslims and 15% Christians.
Eranad sub-district, where the Eranad assembly constituency falls in Malappuram, has 72% Muslims and 26% Hindus. Nilambur and Wandoor fall in the Nilambur Taluk as per the official website of the Malappuram district. As per the Census 2011 figures, the Nilambur sub-district, with Nilambur and Wandoor assembly constituencies, has 58% Muslims followed by 33% Hindus and 8% Christians.
Recurring landslides a major challenge
In the current scenario, one of the biggest hurdle for the winning candidate is to ensure that those displaced from their houses and properties following the landslides in Chooral Mala and Mundakkai are provided with the adequate compensation and ensure that they are been provided with permanent accommodation facilities in the same district. Nearly 1500 people are still awaiting compensation and a permanent house to reside.
Another major issue that has affected the people is the intrusion of wild animals from the forest area to the agricultural land and destroy the houses and damage the agricultural fields in the vicinity. Even though lots of steps have been taken on the regard, the people in Wayanad are demanding a permanent solution.
With Wayanad set to welcome Priyanka Gandhi as the Congress candidate, the constituency will be in the limelight once again.
The biggest question any have begun to ask is ‘Will Wayanad turn out to be the constituency which will witness the ascend of Priyanka Gandhi to the corridors of power in New Delhi?’.
